Critic Rating

On an evening when the more established restaurants had clearly been struck by the Navaratra effect, Jamie’s Pizzeria was buzzing like a beehive on adrenaline. It was Day Two of the world’s first standalone pizzeria carrying Jamie Oliver’s stamp and the vibes were just right. The diners were mainly millennials — the demographic of the decade — and though there was no wine from Grover’s (the establishment’s official drink) to accompany their food orders (the liquor licence is awaited), they were having animated conversations over Jamie’s flavourful hand-stretched garlic bread, fritto misto (the calamari fritters melted in the mouth like bundles of joy) and pizzas that had a rustic simplicity and yet were not boring.
The 1,000-square-foot restaurant has all the hallmarks of Jamie’s — menus written on blackboards; gentle lighting; no chrome, no rexine; a dominating mural capturing the essence of the city; and sourcing standards that no one has ever demanded in India. The pizzas are now made under the hawk eye of Chef John Herring from Cambridge, UK, where the private dining room of Jamie’s Italian was the first to be converted into a pizzeria. You’ll dig the Funghi Woodman, White Rocket, Polpette Schiacciata (mutton mince balls) and Stargazy (prawns) pizzas. The prices float between Rs 199 and Rs 429, but I wish they were more generous with their cheese, prawns and mutton mince balls.